


Old Habits and Friends

by Leonawriter



Series: FF7 minifics [10]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Post-Dirge of Cerberus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 23:26:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14862302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonawriter/pseuds/Leonawriter
Summary: "You remind me a little too much of him, sometimes," Genesis' voice says, in that vaguely distant way that he gets when talking about the past.Cloud is less than appreciative of the comparison.





	Old Habits and Friends

Cloud doesn't even notice when someone else comes in, the words on the pages of the books in front of him blurring as he forces himself to focus for just a few more minutes, and that says something. If it'd been an intruder, or worse, then there'd have been people at risk, in  _danger,_ because of that.

He only realises he isn't alone when he hears the thud of boots and the swish and creak of leather in such a way that it can only be one person.

"You remind me a little too much of  _him_ , sometimes," Genesis' voice says, in that vaguely distant way that he gets when talking about the past.

Detached. Cloud understands that, at least, because it's easier to imagine that some things almost happened to another person entirely than have to connect so closely with memories that still hurt even years later. Even the memories that weren't  _bad_ , necessarily.

It takes him a good long moment longer to get what Genesis had been aiming at, and when he does, he freezes, blood running cold - from the sudden tension of  _that_ person being brought up  _at all_ , the fact that Genesis had just  _compared them_.

"What," Genesis continued dryly, "you think he only started holing away in libraries after I broke with Shinra?"

"I'm  _nothing_ like him," Cloud bit out testily, marking his place in the books with jerky motions.

"I only came up because Tifa wondered where you were, you know," Genesis said blithely. Supposedly looking at his nails, but Cloud could feel the SOLDIER's gaze on him. "I won't say that this isn't important, what you're trying to accomplish. But you aren't going to take much in when you're braindead. And I can assure you that from _personal_ experience."

"What do you  _want."_

Genesis looked back up, and Cloud was taken aback by how the man didn't have his usual self-absorbed expression on. It had been some time since he'd seen Genesis look this  _tired._  

"Perhaps it might surprise you to learn that I do, in fact, have some regrets." And with that, the smile, with all its silk-hiding-steel was back. "Besides, it's nearly one in the morning, and if I'd left you like that, you'd die unceremoniously from cramp the next time you're in a fight."

 _They were my friends,_ he remembered the man saying once. Influenced by company and safety as much if not more than the drink.  _Do you... do you know I can't remember telling them that? Often enough. For real._

 _I used to_ _look up to him too,_ he remembered saying at another time. Genesis had looked at him sharply, but there'd been understanding there instead of judgement. 

 _You're my friend too_ , Cloud read into the lines of Genesis' face in the here and now, the way he was trying to ease the tension after badly chosen and badly timed comments. The worry and the concern. 

Cloud looked away, caught between shame at how he had acted and the feeling of not knowing how to react to the revelation at all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Like with various others of my VII minifics involving Genesis, this could easily fall under the category of 'missing scene from the Sombre Morrow 'verse.' Like the others, it's vague enough to be read out of context. 
> 
> Eventually I might make it into a series just to link everything together for those who want to have everything to do with the one timeline in one place, but for now I'm happy with things as they are.


End file.
